Church service cut short ... for service to others

Dec. 23, 2012

Updated Aug. 21, 2013 1:17 p.m.

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Emma Saunders, 10, yells out for a "runner" to pick up the dried foods she packaged with mom Bonnie at First Evangelical Free Church of Fullerton on Sunday. The meals were destined for the poor in Vietnam as part of the congregation's effort to help the needy this Christmas. EUGENE GARCIA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Parishioners from First Evangelical Free Church of Fullerton sing Christmas carols for seniors at Park Vista Rehabilitation and Nursing Center on Sunday. The caroling was part of the congregation's effort to help the needy this Christmas. EUGENE GARCIA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Pastor Mike Erre interrupts his Sunday services at First Evangelical Free Church of Fullerton, sending out his congregation to bring some unexpected Christmas cheer to those in need. Parishioners packaged foods for the poor in Vietnam as well as the county's homeless, and sang Christmas carols for seniors at a nearby nursing center. EUGENE GARCIA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Parishioner Juanita Stone, center, gets into the holiday giving spirit at First Evangelical Free Church of Fullerton while packaging food gift bags to be distributed to the homeless. They are for the needy at Richmond and La Palma parks. EUGENE GARCIA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Parishioners at First Evangelical Free Church of Fullerton package dried foods to be distributed to the poor in Vietnam. EUGENE GARCIA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Sisters Jennifer and Brianna Fain, from left, package dried foods at First Evangelical Free Church of Fullerton to be distributed to the poor in Vietnam. Pastor Mike Erre interrupted his Sunday services, sending out his congregation to bring some unexpected Christmas cheer to those in need. EUGENE GARCIA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Parishioners at First Evangelical Free Church of Fullerton package dried foods to be distributed to the poor in Vietnam. EUGENE GARCIA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Emma Saunders, 10, yells out for a "runner" to pick up the dried foods she packaged with mom Bonnie at First Evangelical Free Church of Fullerton on Sunday. The meals were destined for the poor in Vietnam as part of the congregation's effort to help the needy this Christmas.EUGENE GARCIA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

FULLERTON – Brianna Fain stood over a bowl of dried vegetables Sunday morning, ready to package bags of food to be sent off across the world to those in need in Vietnam.

The 11-year-old, blue-eyed blonde donned a red hairnet and quickly opened small plastic bags, handed them off to her mom, Carrie Fain, 51, who held one open for her, scooped some dried vegetables and placed them in the bag. Brianna's sister, Jennifer Fain, 13, was in charge of placing the soy protein. Their dad, Glen Fain, 58, then filled the bag with rice.

And repeat.

The family took part in First Evangelical Free Church of Fullerton's Eve before the Eve project, a challenge by senior pastor Mike Erre to his congregation to leave the church and physically spread Jesus' work into the community.

"If you think the church stops when you walk out the door, you're mistaken," he told his congregation Sunday during the 8 a.m. service. "What you do now is just as legitimate as what you did the last half-hour sitting here."

When Brianna learned from her parents a couple of weeks ago that Sunday's church service would be cut short and that she would be spending several hours packaging food for those in need across the world, she was ready to make it happen.

"I wanted to do this because when people eat this, they'll know that people care about them," she said.

About 1,500 to 1,700 people signed up for activities the church had organized, including packaging food to send to Vietnam through the Stop Hunger Now organization, buying groceries for a widow or a single mom who lives on their street and delivering it, buying a cup of coffee for a Salvation Army bell ringer or handing out gifts to the homeless in Walmart parking lots. Some went caroling at assisted-living senior communities. Some stayed to pray.

Erre said he decided make this Sunday about serving others because it's the epitome of the Christmas story.

"The Christmas story is fundamentally about God becoming flesh and taking on a human form," he said. "We can talk about how much God is good, but if the church is not embodying those concepts in the flesh, then no one is going to be interested in hearing our talk."

Over at the church's north campus, elderly churchgoers were filling the Act of Kindness Bag, a project begun by Jeanette Bollen, 68, in January, after she and her family decided to open her home to a homeless man who was beaten after leaving rehab.

Now supported by the church, the project has grown, and every week Act of Kindness Bags filled with hygiene items and a nonperishable food item are handed off to the homeless at Richman Park in Fullerton and La Palma Park in Anaheim.

"What did Jesus do?" Bollen asked. "He went to people with leprosy ... to all outcast people. He fed them. He gave them clothing. He provided. He healed them."

About 4,500 people gather at First Evangelical Free Church of Fullerton for its Sunday services.

About 1,500 to 1,700 churchgoers signed up to be part of the Eve before the Eve mission.

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